Speaker of the Dead
by Calliope Nightcat
Summary: It's sixth year, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione are back at Hogwarts - but after Hermione meets and befriends a fellow sixth year on the train, things get even more complicated than before. Hermione's new friend is more than she seems.. Far more.
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer**: I own Layali Meskhenet, and nothing else. I'm borrowing J.K. Rowling's characters. Other than that, I own.. (empties pockets) Some lint, a stick of gum, and 32 cents.

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Layali yawned and flopped down on her bed in her new dorm room, tired after the long train ride and extravagant feast which she'd slipped out of early. Running a hand through her long, wavy ebony hair, a light sigh fluttered from her lips. It was her sixth year at Hogwarts, second to last before graduation. It was tomorrow that the results of her O.W.L.s would be revealed, and her fate in the wizarding world decided.

Hearing the door to the room open, she lifted her stone gray gaze and turned her head to see who it was. "Hello, Layali." Hermione said, closing the door behind her and sitting on her own bed, across from Layali's.

"Hey, 'Mione." Layali replied to her roommate. They'd met on the train just today and talked the whole way, becoming quick friends. As a result, they'd been magically assigned as roomies.

"I'm so nervous about my O.W.L.s, I couldn't eat.." Hermione said, wringing her hands and chewing on her lip.

Layali nodded, replying, "Me too. Well, I ate a little, but not as much as is usual for the Start of Term Feast." Hermione tapped her left foot nervously, and Layali continued, "You should go down to the kitchens and ask the house elves to make you a cup of chamomile tea and infuse it with a bit of a sleeping draught. You'll never get any sleep otherwise."

Hermione shook her head vigorously. "No, I won't be the one to submit those poor creatures to more labor, let alone on the first day back!"

Layali remembered just then that she had recently been appointed Treasurer of S.P.E.W., so caught herself before she rolled her eyes. "Right, sorry. Well, I'm sure they'd let you make some yourself."

"Perhaps." Hermione replied thoughtfully.

"Well, consider it. I'm turning in." Layali said, changing out of her robes and climbing under her sheets in just her undergarments. It was her usual sleeping attire, whether she'd showered or not. She was mind-numbingly exhausted – she'd bathe in the morning. Wouldn't do to pass out asleep in the shower, now, would it?

"'Night." Hermione mumbled as Layali closed her bed curtains. She sat on the foot of her own bed for a few more minutes before standing quickly and heading to the kitchens. Maybe over a cup of tea she could give some of the house elves the hats she'd knitted over the summer..


	2. A Rude Awakening

**Disclaimer: **I own Layali Meskhenet. Nothing else. Just playing in J.K. Rowling's world. Don't sue!

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"Layali! Get up! Our O.W.L. results get in today." 

Layali cracked open her eyes and promptly squeezed them shut again as her bed curtains were yanked open, assaulting her sleepy eyes with bright sunlight. "Mfh.. 'Mione.. It feels like I just got to sleep. Ten more minutes.." Layali mumbled, pulling the comforter high up to her chin.

"No, no, no. You're getting up right now. No arguments." Hermione then proceeded to yank the quilt off the bed and begin to beat on Layali with the pillow she grabbed from under her head.

"Ow! Five minutes then. Four. Three. Two. One! Please, one! Have mercy!" Layali cried, squirming away and tumbling out of her bed, landing hard on her rear. She frowned up at Hermione and got a pillow in her face. Grabbing the pillow she threw it back at Hermione and stuck her tongue out, muttering, "Meanie.." With a sigh, she rose up on her knees and opened the trunk at the foot of her bed, taking out a towel and a black bathrobe. "Fine, I'm up, I'm up. I'll take a shower and meet you in the Great Hall. Now go bother someone else."

Task accomplished, Hermione exited the girls' dormitory in triumph, heading towards the boys' rooms to do the same thing to Harry and Ron.

Slipping on the bathrobe, Layali left the room also, but headed for the showers.

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Refreshed and energized by the shower, Layali brushed her hair out and put on the robes that marked her proudly as a Gryffindor before walking to the Great Hall to grab some breakfast and meet Hermione. When she had a plate of food, she glanced around the slowly filling Hall and quickly spotted her bushy-haired friend at one of the Gryffindor tables, talking animatedly to two boys, one with black hair and another with bright orange. She made her way towards them and took a seat across from Hermione and the red-haired boy, next to the one with black hair.

Hermione grinned across the table at her and said, "Layali! Good, I was beginning to worry that you'd gone back to sleep after I left."

"She terrorized you too then?" The one next to Hermione said in between bites of an omelet.

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "Layali, this is Ron, and that's Harry. Everyone, Layali Meskhenet."

"Harry Potter and Ronald Weasly?" Layali asked.

Harry nodded and mentally braced himself for that quick, awe-filled look at the scar slightly obscured by his messy bangs. It was getting quite annoying now – people seemed to think of him as a scar with a person attached to it, instead of someone with a life and personality who happed to have an interesting story.

However, the look never came. This new girl simply smiled at both him and Ron and said, "I've heard the most interesting things about the three of you."

Ron grinned at this and replied, "Don't believe them all. How come we haven't seen you around before, anyways?"

"Oh, I've been around, I'm just kind of a loner. I've kept a low profile. Unlike some people I could mention."

The infamous trio laughed at this, and Layali tackled her sizable breakfast – several sausages and bacon was piled on her plate, with a scrambled egg at the side. A goblet of orange juice completed it.

"What class does everyone have first?" Hermione asked, working on her toast and marmalade.

"Transfiguration for me." Layali said, cutting up a sausage and dipping a piece in tomato sauce before popping it in her mouth.

"Us too." Harry said, speaking for himself and Ron. They'd compared schedules on the train.

"Great! Me too. Oh, I can't stand the tension.. I'm so worried about my O.W.L.s! I got the rock to turn into a dog, but I didn't get to see much of it.. What if it had kidney stones? It's claws looked a bit much like granite.." Hermione said, nibbling at a piece of toast. She still had no appetite – her stomach was full of butterflies.

"Relax, Hermione. You'll be fine." Ron said past a mouthful of omelet.

"Chew it, don't spew it." Hermione said with a look of disgust. "And I won't be fine! Not if that dog wasn't fully functional!"

"It'll be okay. You're one of the top students at Hogwarts." Layali replied, taking a sip of her juice.

Hermione smiled back at her and said, "Thanks, I needed that."

Ron gave Harry an indignant look and muttered, "Oh, sure, when I say something encouraging, I get scolded. When she does, she gets a thank you!"

He was rewarded for this comment by a frown from Hermione, who replied, "Maybe if you hadn't shown me your half-chewed breakfast at the same time I would have been more receptive."

Ron took another bite of his omelet and chewed it up before sticking his tongue out at Hermione, purposefully grossing her out.

"Ronald Weasly, that's disgusting!" Hermione said, leaning away from him.

Layali fought to hide a smile at their banter. The four compared the rest of their schedules while they finished breakfast, the Great Hall starting to become packed by students and ghosts. When they were done, they went to retrieve their new Transfiguration books, parchment, and quills, then walked together to Professor McGonagall's classroom.


End file.
